This invention relates to an assembly for holding a beverage container, and more particularly to a beverage container holder for use in combination with an item of furniture such as a chair.
The occupant of a chair often finds himself or herself in a situation where the occupant is holding a beverage container but has nowhere to place the container to free his or her hands. In a setting in which a number of chairs are placed side-by-side, the occupant can place the container on the seat of an adjacent chair if the chair is unoccupied. If the adjacent chairs are occupied, however, the occupant may have to place the beverage container on the floor beneath or near the chair. Either of these situations can easily result in the beverage being spilled.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder for a chair or seat assembly, which is a part of the chair or seat assembly itself. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a beverage container holder which can be moved out of the way to a storage position when not in use. It is a further object of the invention to provide a beverage container holder which is simple in construction and operation, and which can easily be adapted for use in combination with a chair. A still further object of the invention is to provide a beverage container holder which is particularly well suited for use in combination with a chair having a seat frame and a seat member which cooperates to define a downwardly facing recess, such as a conventional folding chair.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a beverage container holder for a seat assembly having a seat defining an outer peripheral edge includes a container holder member and a movable mounting arrangement interconnected with the seat assembly and with the container holder member. The container holder member includes a first portion having structure for receiving a beverage container, and a second portion spaced from the first portion and movably interconnected with the mounting arrangement for providing movement of the first portion of the container holder member between a storage position and an operative position. In the storage position, the first portion of the container holder member is located inwardly of the peripheral edge of the seat, and in the operative position is located outwardly of the seat peripheral edge. The structure for receiving a beverage container may be in the form of a ring-like member defining an opening through which the beverage container extends. The ring-like member may include a tab for manual engagement by a user to facilitate movement of the container holder member between its storage and operative positions. The container holder member is preferably mounted so as to be pivotably movable between its storage and operative positions. Preferably, the second portion of the container holder member includes an arcuate slot, and a fixed-position control member is secured to the seat and extends through the slot. Engagement of the control member with the ends of the slot controls the range of pivoting movement of the container holder member. The radius of the slot extends from a center, and the second portion of the container holder member is pivotably mounted via a connector which is coincident with the center of the slot for providing pivoting movement of the container holder member relative to the seat. In a preferred form, the container holder member is a plate-like member having the ring structure formed on one end thereof, disc-like mounting structure formed at the opposite end thereof and securable to the seat via the connector defining the pivot axis, and a connector section extending between the ring structure and the disc-like structure. The seat includes a frame which cooperates with the seat to define a downwardly facing recess or interior space below the seat member, and the container holder member is pivotably mounted to a base member secured within the recess. The base is constructed and arranged such that the container holder member is located slightly below the frame member.
The invention further contemplates a folding chair having a beverage container holder constructed and arranged as summarized above.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.